Grail War Order
by Dragonslab
Summary: A small twist of fate motivates Reines El-Melloi to participate in the Fuyuki Grail War. Recalling the stories about a powerful and dangerous servant from the current Lord El-Melloi II, Reines secretly travels to France to try and secure a relic to summon the servant with. However, the act of summoning this servant sets in motion a chain of events that forever alters this Grail War


As I walk down the long corridor, I can't help but feel the array of halls, faces, and art pieces strike me as foreign. After all, it's been quite a while since I last visited the Tower. It would've probably been even longer had I not received word to return immediately.

"Bazett Fraga McRemitz!" a loud voice rings out from the scarcely used intercom. "You were to report immediately to Lord El Melloi's office upon arriving. Wherever you are, hurry there ASAP, if you'd please."

I grit my teeth in a mixture of annoyance and embarrassment before hastening the pace at which I walk down the hallway. _These impatient bastards! It's been years since I was last here, how am I supposed to remember where his office is?!_

After a lot more searching, ending with me shamefully asking a young student for directions, I arrive at Lord El Melloi's office.

"Well… here goes." I anxiously mumble while reaching to the brass handle.

As soon as the door is open, a black, leather shoe scarcely misses my head as it wizzes past me. I freeze where I stand, barely managing to suppress the surprised yelp from the sudden attack.

"You're late." the black-haired man grumbles while seated behind his desk, his arm still extended from throwing the shoe.

"Y-Yessir! My apologies, I had difficulty finding your office. It's… been awhile."

My apology seemingly goes unnoticed as he grunts before standing up and snatching something off his desk. I can't help but notice a cloaked figure standing nearby, in front of one of El Melloi's bookcases. Beneath the hood of the cloak, I can make out the features of a woman with light-colored hair and blue eyes. _That girl… I wonder if she's the one I've been hearing about. Lord El Melloi's pupil, Gray._

"Here." El Melloi bluntly states. My affixation on the girl is interrupted by El Melloi unveiling an envelope and shoving it in front of my face.

"What's this?" I ask in confusion.

"The reason the higher ups at the Tower wanted you to halt your last assignment and return here immediately." he answers. "If I had known you'd be so long getting here, I would've come and given it to you myself."

I try my hardest to keep a pleasant smile on my face before graciously accepting the envelope from him. I inspect the beige envelope but fail to notice a name or even an address, only a red wax seal with two K's overlapping each other.

"Again," I begin "I'm so sorry for arriving late. It's been so long since I've walked the halls of the Tower. And what of this envelope? I presume it's a letter; what's it about?"

"I wouldn't be so childish as to get irritated for being made to wait." he responds, sounding a tad defensive. "It's just that I had a seminar planned, one that was, and is still being, delayed thanks to you. Considering that, read the letter yourself. It'd be quicker and more convenient for both of us."

With that, he walks past me and out into the hallway. Following quickly in suit, the hooded figure, who I assume to be Gray, rushes out. She offers me a quick bow and what looks to be an apologetic smile before walking off with El Melloi.

"What a pompous snide." I mumble in irritation before stepping out of the empty office and closing the door that they carelessly left open. "Let's see…"

I also begin walking down the hall while working to wedge my fingernail beneath the wax seal. After a few seconds of chipping at the wax and jabbing my fingernail against it, I manage to pry the seal off. _Finally._ _Now, for the moment of truth…_

After carefully pulling out and unfolding the letter, I begin reading its contents.

My dear Bazett, 

_D-Dear Bazett? _The writer's choice of reference to me causes a light blush to tinge my cheeks. _N-No, Bazett! Now's not the time to get all flustered; keep reading!_

I'm well aware that it has been a long time since we've spoken to one another; even longer since we've actually met. For that, I apologize. In case you were wondering, you've indeed been in my thoughts. I quite miss the days when we would run together and encounter each other out in the field, back when we were younger. Oh, listen to me. I sound like an old fool now, don't I? Moving on, the reason I'm writing you is not solely to reminisce on old times and check up on you. As I'm sure you guessed, considering the Tower recalled you over the matter. No, the reason I've gotten back in touch with you after all this time is because I have a proposition. I believe even you, as hermit-like and reclusive as you are, know that the 5th Grail War is upon us. I hadn't considered outsourcing combatants for this particular War, but time draws on and on. I've noticed that as the fated day approaches ever-closer, there are still three unaccounted for masters and servants. Although, if a certain someone I know would get her act together and summon a servant already, it'd be safer to say there are two spots remaining. I began to realize, much to my chagrin, I would have to inquire about some mages representing the Association. So, I thought that, as long as that's the case, why not invite someone I'm already acquainted with? Someone that I trust? Well, what do you say? Are you up for one last adventure with me? If you wish to accept my offer, then come to my humble church in Fuyuki, in exactly one week's time from now. You needn't write back; if you don't show up, I'll take that as your answer.

Best regards,

Kotomine Kirei

Upon confirming the name of the writer, I feel the blush grace my cheeks once more. _After all this time… Kirei? _Considering his cold demeanor and lack of emotion, I never would've guessed he held me in such high regards. _That's unfair… If he requests me like this, how could I possibly turn down the offer? _

As I continue walking down the hall towards the stairwell that'll lead me back down to the main floor, I find myself unable to focus, my mind filled with confusion and giddiness at Kirei's proposal. As a matter of fact, I'm so preoccupied with my thoughts that I don't even notice the robed figure walking towards me.

"Ugh?!" I gasp in surprise when the robed figure bumps into me as he walks past. _W-Where did he come from? _Almost in unison, the window to my left flies open and a strong storm-like gust blows into the hallway. "W-What?!"

As the events around me play too quickly for my mind to keep up, the letter in my hand slips from my loose grip and gets hoisted up by the gust of wind. _Ah! W-Wait! _I jump and swat at the letter fluttering in the air, but it dances with the wind between my grip every time. I watch helplessly as it swirls around before being sucked out of the window, into the open courtyard below. _W-Wait, the wind suddenly began blowing in the opposite direction?! Never mind that…_ I angrily turn on my heel and face the back of the rude stranger that bumped into me, who's still carelessly walking.

"Hey, buddy! You blind or something? You just ran into me and made me lose a really, REALLY important letter!" I begin stomping towards him, having half a mind to deck him in the face. As I'm angrily tromping towards him, he stops walking. Slowly, he turns to face me.

"My… I'm quite sorry, young lady." an old, rough voice responds. "I was so busy admiring the lilies out in the courtyard. I hadn't even realized you were there." I stop my angry march towards him, feeling my feet turn cold upon hearing his voice. Eventually, he finishes turning around, facing me in his full glory.

"M-M-M-M-Master Zelretch?!" I barely manage to squeeze out his name, in a shout no less. Surely enough, before me stands arguably the most powerful wizard in the Tower. Maybe in the world. "Wh-What are you doing out of your study?! Down here on the second floor?!" He chuckles slightly, his wrinkled cheeks dimpling as a hearty smile crosses his face.

"What?" he questions. "Is an old man not allowed to take a walk every now and then? Enjoy the beautiful day?" I continue stammering, completely lost in what's happening at the moment.

"No-No, I… I just, I thought that…" While I try to figure out how to respond, Master Zelretch lifts his walking stick up and points towards the still-open window.

"Didn't you say that letter was important?" he queries. "Shouldn't you go after it? An invitation to the Grail War is surely something I wouldn't want to lose."

I nod quickly, shutting my mouth. Deciding it'd be best to use his advice as an excuse to escape the awkward situation, I bow, wave, and turn on my foot before lightly jogging away. _Whew, that was scary! Even though he was laughing and smiling, I felt a pressure like a ton of bricks were over my head! _I silently thank the absent letter from Kirei for being an excuse at getting away. _Though I suppose Zelretch _was _still the one who made me lose it in the first place… Wait a minute…_

"Master Zelretch?!" I call out while halting my jogging and turning on my heel. "How did you know the letter-" my question pauses once I finish turning and see the long hallway, completely void of anyone "…was about the Grail War…?" _Huh? Wasn't he just…? _

I silently turn back around and continue walking towards the stairwell while a disturbing feeling lingers in my stomach. _Considering his position here, I'm sure he was already informed that Kirei was requesting my participation in the Grail War, just as Lord El-Melloi was. Yeah, I'm sure that's it. That's how he knew. _I subconsciously take another glance back while jogging. _But then… how'd he up and vanish like that? _

The large, open courtyard appears to be completely empty. Only the statues and white lilies fill the desolate area. Or at least, that's what I thought. I'm proven wrong when I spot, beneath a gazebo in the distant, right corner of the courtyard, two women. _There are two girls over there. Maybe they saw where the letter flew off to? _After considering this, I begin walking towards the gazebo.

Upon arriving, I notice the women are seated at a table that's set with various cookies and pastries, accompanied with a pot of tea. _Though, I suppose I can't really call either of these two a "woman". _

The one to my right is a blonde-haired girl, who looks as though she can't be any older than 14 years. The one seated across from her… well, I have no clue what to call her. _She looks like some kind of grey slime-woman wearing maid's clothing. _My staring at the weird creature is interrupted when the young girl loudly clears her throat, garnering my attention.

"*ahem* Yes? May we help you?" the blonde girl questions, in a slightly haughty tone.

"Ah, um yes. Sorry for interrupting you two… uh ladies. I was just wondering if you happened to see a piece of paper, a letter, fly out into this courtyard somewhere?"

The young girl finally opens her eyes upon hearing my question. I'm taken slightly aback upon seeing the icy-blue coloration of her irises. She glances at me, then across the table to the gray-slime-woman.

"Trimmau?" the blonde girl states. "If you would." After her instruction, the slime woman, who I presume to be Trimmau, rises to her feet and pulls a folded sheet of parchment from her maid dress.

"Ah, the letter!" I happily exclaim. The slime woman steps from underneath the gazebo and hands me the letter while the blonde girl nods.

"We were wondering whose it was." the blonde girl quietly mumbles. "We were just out, enjoying some tea, when it suddenly flew down and onto our table. If it wasn't for Trimmau here, it would've ended up soaked in my tea."

"Is that right?" I question while looking up towards Trimmau. "Well then, thank you very much Trimmau." Trimmau nods slightly before stepping back and retaking her seat. "Might I also know your name, young lady?" I ask while turning back towards her.

"Reines El-Melloi Archisorte." she states, simply. _Yeesh, that's a pretty long name to be able to state so nonchalantly. Wait a minute… "El-Melloi"? The same as that instructor from earlier… _While pondering the relationship of the grumpy man and this little girl, she furrows her brow slightly and turns to stare at me with an irritated look. "Is there something else? Or could you possibly allow us to return to enjoying our tea?"

"Uh, sorry. I'll get out of you guys' way." I sheepishly mumble, trying to conceal the irritation bubbling up in me from being spoken to so impolitely.

As I turn to begin walking away, I recall the sensitive information within the letter. _Could they… could they have possibly taken a look at what the letter said?_ I glance back at the young girl, Reines, and feel my paranoia get the best of me.

"Um, one last thing before I go, if you don't mind." I begin. Reines, after letting out a slightly annoyed sigh, nods in affirmation before turning her attention back to me. "Neither of you happened to read what was in the letter, right?" Reines continues to stare at me with her cold gaze for a few seconds before opening her mouth to respond.

"Are you kidding me?" she spits back, laced with annoyance. "As if I'd care enough to read someone else's paperwork. I only glanced at it to see if there was a name indicating the owner, then gave it to Trimmau to deliver to the office's lost and found later. It's Bazett, right? As if I already wasn't interested, reading a name that bland and boring definitely killed any intrigue I held in it."

I stand a few feet away from the gazebo, filled with disbelief at how this little girl is talking down to me from her high and mighty pedestal. Without responding in any way, out of fear I might use words inappropriate for children, I turn and angrily begin stomping off. _A child that bitter and grumpy? It's not hard for me to see that she's related to that Lord. Little brat!_

* * *

**7 Days Later **

I anxiously rub the long, silver earring hanging from my left ear while nervously staring out the plane's window. The multitude of bright, shimmering city lights below manages to soothe my worries, if even just a little.

_I can't believe it took the tower five days to secure me a relic. If I'd known it would take that long, I would've just gone without one! _Including the days between Kirei writing the letter and me receiving it, the allotted week of time he gave me has come and gone. _So long as at least one servant hasn't been summoned though, I'm sure he'll still allow me to participate._

The airport is oddly crowded considering the time of year. I have trouble finding my briefcase on the conveyor belt due to the amount of others' luggage. That, and the large crowd garnered around the conveyor belt, each frantic to receive their bags. _I never would've thought Fuyuki to be such a bustling city._

My hardships aren't over even after finally reclaiming my bags and getting out of the airport lobby. No, that'd be too easy. I spend the next hour or so fighting to flag a taxi amongst the other tourists.

After an hour of my futile attempts, and noticing the crowd of people needing transportation hasn't diminished at all, I resign with my defeat and begin walking on foot to the nearest train station.

_Whew. Barely made it… _I slump my weary body on an empty seat while groaning from exhaustion. _If I arrived even a minute later, I would've missed the last train route passing through here tonight. _I certainly was naïve to think traversing Fuyuki would be a cake walk. I've barely been here a few hours and it's already proven to be a dangerous opponent.

Despite being to Japan once or twice before, I don't think I've ever visited Fuyuki. Having never really cared much for crowded cities, I thought that my time here wouldn't be that enjoyable. However, after seeing it above from the airplane porthole and even now while I stare out the rapid train's window, I can tell there's a certain charm about the city. _Perhaps this is what Kirei likes about it. _

Instead of once again attempting to hail a taxi, I decide to just walk the remaining distance after arriving at the train stop. I grab my briefcase from the overhead compartment before quickly maneuvering out of the train and through the station.

"Let's see…" I mumble while rooting around in my duffle bag. Finally, my fingers clasp the ruffled, waxy paper that I was rustling around for. "Aha!" I pull out the messily folded map of Fuyuki and unfold it to try and gain my bearings.

_Alright so… the station is here… Kirei's church is here… That's a bit more than a mile away. So, I should be able to make it there in half an hour on foot. _I try my best to memorize the route I'll have to walk before folding the map up and tucking it back into my bag.

Without encountering any major hiccups, I finally arrive at the base of the sidewalk leading up a hill. On top of the pavement hill rests my destination, the Kotomine church. Not wanting to waste anymore time, I transition to a light sprint up the sidewalk. _Seriously though, something about a church at night is really eerie. I should talk to Kirei about sprucing this place up with some lights. Maybe a big, baroque-style fountain out front?_

After effortlessly jumping the wrought-iron gate that was locked, I finish jogging up to the church's wooden double doors. _It's pretty late. I wonder if he's even still up? _Despite thinking this, I still raise my hand to knock on the door.

Before my knuckle can collide on the first knock, the door, surprisingly, swings inward. _Huh? _Standing alone in the doorway is Kirei Kotomine, a slight smile on his lips. I retract my extended hand in embarrassment.

"K-Kirei. It's good to see you. How did you know I was here?" I nervously ask.

"Please, old friend. I'm sure any good priest would rally to the door if they heard their locked gates being rattled in the middle of the night." I bow my head slightly in shame at his response.

"Yeah… I'm sorry. I suppose I should've waited till morning." _Though, it's a stretch to call yourself a "good priest". Or even a priest, for that matter… _

"Worry not." he responds. "I may not look it, but I'm actually overjoyed to see you've arrived. After you hadn't shown up a few days ago, I assumed you turned down my offer."

"Well," I begin "the Clock Tower was taking their sweet time getting me my relic to summon the heroic spirit with. I would've written or called ahead to let you know I might be late, but you explicitly said not to bother in your letter. More importantly…" I point overdramatically at his head.

"Hm?" he hums inquisitively.

"What's with that hair, Kirei?! A mullet? Seriously? And have you grown _even_ taller? For a second, I didn't even recognize it was you!" he forces a laugh at my barrage of questions.

"Well, a lot has happened over the years, Bazett. I'm sure you would like to catch up over some tea, maybe coffee? I know I surely would like to hear what you've been up to all this time. For now, why don't you join me inside? It's hardly appropriate to be conversing in the doorway, is it?" I nod at his suggestion, feeling a light blush tinge my cheeks at his gentlemanly manner.

The inside of the church meets my expectations perfectly. Bland and minimalistic, just as I pictured it would be. _You may look different, but you never change. Do you, Kirei?_ He notices me staring at him knowingly and raises his brow at me.

"Yes? Something on your mind?" he queries.

"No, no. I was just thinking that this church reflects your personality perfectly." A strange look washes over his eyes at my comment. However, it dissipates after I let out a slight giggle to accompany the jab I made at him.

"Right. Of course." He responds, donning his smirk once more. I sigh in relief. _Thank goodness. For a second there, he had a scary look in his eye. As though I offended him or something. Come on, Bazett! It's been years since you've seen each other! Even if you're friends, don't start acting so buddy-buddy right off the bat. That'll make you look desperate! You're walking on eggshells. Eggshells! Eggshells!_

While I mentally chastise myself, Kirei walks up to his altar and places the Bible, that I hadn't even realized he was holding, on top of it. He then turns back to me.

"Well, Bazett." he begins. "If you'd like, we can have that tea I mentioned earlier. Or, we can go ahead and get your summoning out of the way. The sooner, the better." I nod at his suggestion, eager to be able to summon a heroic spirit.

"Then, let's do the summoning." Kirei smiles at my decision and beckons to follow him as he walks to a door on the right side of the church. I drop my briefcase and bag on one of the wooden benches before rushing to follow him.

I follow Kirei out the door and into a beautiful church courtyard. _Woah… Perhaps I spoke too soon about this place being bland. This little courtyard is quite well-groomed. _My admiration is short-lived, as I must quickly leave to follow in Kirei's quick pace.

After going through another door, a short hallway, then another door again, we end up outside, at the back of the church. I crack my knuckles, assuming this is the spot where we'll conduct the ritual, but I'm proven wrong when Kirei continues walking into the forested area.

"Ah, w-wait for me, Kirei!" I rush to catch back up to him, wondering how far we have to go before we arrive at the summoning ground. _Well, I suppose it makes sense that he wouldn't want to conduct something like a summoning ritual close to the church. That'd be blasphemous… or something. _

I stop counting the minutes we've been walking once it exceeds 15. _Good grief! How much longer do we have to walk?! Does it really matter that much where the ritual is held?_ I almost say something to Kirei but stop myself once he ceases his walking.

"We've arrived." he declares. I step up to stand next to him and see that we've entered into a spacious clearing. On the ground, there are worn, vague markings strewn across the grass and dirt. I can make out the relative shape of what looks like a summoning circle, after staring at it for a few minutes.

"Is that the summoning circle?" I inquire. He nods before approaching it while reaching under his coat.

"It was, yes." He begins. "I prepared it a couple of days ago in anticipation of your arrival, but you came later than expected. I'll need to make a few altercations for it to be usable once more. An update, if you will."

He pulls out two vials from beneath his coat, one filled with crimson liquid and the other filled with a metallic, silver one. _Huh. It's the same color as that slime woman- what was her name?... Ah yes, Trimmau. Wait a minute. Has Kirei just been keeping those under his coat all this time? Weird._

While he begins dripping the two fluids and tracing them into the sigils and patterns, I remove my leather gloves and crack my knuckles. _Alright, here we go! _Once I notice Kirei rise back to his feet and drop the two, now-empty vials on the ground, I remove the earrings from my ears.

"The relic?" Kirei inquires. I step towards him and offer the pair of silver earrings. He takes them and walks around the circle until he arrives at the edge of the western half, placing them on the ground right next to the edge of the circle.

"Now what, Kirei?" My question seemingly doesn't reach him, as he's preoccupied with alternating his gaze between either of my lowered hands.

"Bazett," he begins "I don't see your command spells. Have none manifested on your body?" I lift my hands up and inspect them thoroughly. There are no markings of any sort on them.

"It seems not." I answer. "I noticed once I arrived here that they weren't forming. I assumed they just did so during the summoning." He rubs his chin at my response, apparently deep in thought.

"Yes, it sometimes waits until the act of summoning to manifest." He finally explains. "However, that's usually only the case for weaker or inexperienced mages. A mage such as yourself though… it should've chosen you as soon as you arrived in Fuyuki." After mentioning this, he continues to rub his chin while his eyebrows furrow in concern.

"Uh, Kirei?" I finally call out to him. He apparently snaps out of his deep thinking and turns his attention back to me.

"R-Right." He mumbles. "It's too soon to say anything, we haven't even conducted the ritual. Well, go ahead. You know the incantation; give it a shot." He walks away from the clearing to stand amongst the trees at the forest line. I, filling much less certain about myself, raise my hand towards the summoning circle.

"…Fill, Fill, Fill, Fill, Fill. Five times only to be obliterated. By my cry, traverse from the plain of legends. I ask, only answer my strength with ferocity of equal magnitude. Respond to the beckoning of the Grail's summons and to its laws. Guardian of the Heavenly Scales!"

As I spoke, it became progressively harder to continue and my embarrassment grew to paramount proportions. I've never summoned a servant before, but I assume that there's some indicator or effect that accompanies the summoning. However, as I spoke, I felt nothing. I saw nothing. I experienced nothing.

"Kirei?" I feebly ask, unsure of what to do. He approaches the circle, his face stricken with confusion.

"How…?" he mumbles in disbelief.

"I-I must've done something wrong." I quickly stammer. "Or, perhaps I really do need the command seals. Or… or… maybe the Grail just didn't choose me."

"No, no. You don't understand, Bazett." He quickly refutes, in a hasty tone. "There should be two servants left unaccounted for. At the very least, one! If the Grail won't answer your resolve… If you can't summon a servant, that can only mean one thing."

"W-What?" I nervously ask, surprised by his shaken demeanor.

"The problem lies neither with you nor with the Grail…" He states, gravely. "It seems that… Unbeknownst to me… the final two servants have already been summoned."

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The long, winding sidewalk extends ever-further to a destination that I do not know. I gave up on flying a while back, wanting to preserve what little mana I yet retained, lest I fade away. _I believe if I continue this way, I will eventually arrive at the leyline. Then… I can attempt to establish a source of mana from it… or perhaps, I can siphon the mana of whatever humans I find along the way._

As I near the magnetic-like source of mana, I can't help but laugh at my futile self-arguing. _Who am I kidding… do I really expect to win the War by retaining barely enough mana to stay manifested? _I gaze up to my left, to try and peer at the Japanese structure resting on top of the bamboo-covered mountain; Ryudou Temple. _Do I even _want _to win…?_

I lower my hood, wanting to see the starry night sky, unobscured. In case tonight is my last night before I'm gone again. My violet hair cascades down onto my shoulders and along my back. _It's a shame… I'm sure I'd appear rather stunning in this moment. If I wasn't covered in the blood of my former master… _

Eventually, I manage to reach the base of the staircase that leads up into Ryudou Temple. Imagine my surprise when I see a lone man, dressed in a suit, staring up at the night sky. _A man? Out this late at night? W-What do I do? I could drain him of his mana, however much he has… _

I remain a safe distance away, staring at him while I decide what to do. I notice the cold, hardened features of his face. For whatever reason, my cheeks turn slightly flush while gazing upon him. _There's something different about this man… Forget draining his lifeforce, I want him to become my new master._

I billow my gown once, and the caked blood on it dissipates as though it was never there. _Alright, time to work the damsel in distress angle. _Upon willing it, fake tears flow freely from my eyes. I run clumsily towards the man while forcing myself to appear out of breath.

"M-Mister! Mister! Please, I need help." Upon hearing my cries, the man pulls his attention away from the sky and directs his gaze towards me. _Ah, his eyes are even more striking when they're looking at you up-close! _

"Ma'am? What's wrong? Are you hurt?" He rushes to my side and, as soon as he's close enough, I collapse against him, into his arms.

"*sniffle* N-No, I don't think so. Though, I don't know if that would've been the case if I hadn't found you." I'm surprised to see my honeyed words leave the man seemingly unfazed.

"I have lodgings up in the temple." He responds. "I can take you there and help you in anyway I can, if you'd like." Despite giving me this kind-hearted gesture, his face remained as unassuming and cold as before.

"Y-You'd help me in any way you can?" I question, provocatively. After remaining silent for a moment, he nods.

"Yes. Anything you need." Upon hearing his answer, a devilish smile graces my lips and I cup my hand against his cheek.

"Then, form a contract with me. Become my master." I state simply. I expect a confused remark or an angered response, but all he gives me is a skewed brow raise.

"Alright. I shall." I drop my jaw ever so slightly in shock at his unhesitant response. _I sense no magic circuits in this man. While there is something unique about him, surely he knows nothing of the Grail War or masters and heroic spirits. Yet even still… with no second thought._ I feel the slight blush return to my cheeks.

"Th-Thank you… Might I know your name, my master?" I nervously question.

"Souichirou Kuzuki." He instantly responds, without delay. "May I also know your name, ma'am?" I fidget in his arms and tug nervously on a lock of my hair.

"W-Well… for now, just refer to me as-"

"Caster." A cold, foreign voice states firmly.

I rip myself from Kuzuki's grip and look in every direction, trying to find the voice that immediately revealed my class.

"Wh-Who's there?!" I shout out. "Show yourself! How did you realize my class?! Are you a servant?"

"I know more than just your class, witch Medea." The voice retorts, emanating from amongst the bamboo shoots.

"Bastard!" I scream while mustering what amount of mana I have left to bombard the bamboo stalks with a barrage of spell blasts. A cloud of dust kicks up and fragments of rock and bamboo pelt the sidewalk where Kuzuki and I stand. I turn to him, expecting him to be freaking out and running away at this point, but instead he appears just as calm and reserved as before, merely darting his eyes around to try and find the mysterious provoker.

"I don't think it's very wise of you to be carelessly firing off magic, Caster." The voice continues. _Dammit… that was all I had. I feel my spirit core dissipating even quicker now. _

I turn to face the voice as the dust cloud settles, further down the sidewalk from Kuzuki and I. I finally get a look at what the perpetrator looks like. A figure clad head to toe in pure white armor. In their right hand, they hold an absurdly large jousting lance.

"Th-That weapon. You must be Lancer." I guess. The individual responds by nodding their bulky helmet.

"Indeed. A fact I'm sure you, Caster, find quite terrifying." _How dare they presume I'm fearful! Though, they're correct. This isn't good at all._

"How did you-"

"You." The knight cuts me off, pointing the large lance towards the man behind me, Kuzuki. _Dammit! The knight won't allow me to squeeze anymore small talk in. _"What are you doing here bystander? If you have no business, be on your way. Now!"

Kuzuki stands to his feet before casually dusting off his coat that'd been covered in specks of dirt and bamboo leaves from my attack earlier. I look up to him desperately, nodding in affirmation that he needs to leave. _I don't know why I'm suddenly so concerned about the wellbeing of this man, especially above that of my own, but I feel I can be content so long as he listens to her and runs away._

"I am no mere bystander." He suddenly declares. "I am this woman's master." _No, no! You fool! _"If you intend to trouble her any further, then I'm afraid I'll have to put an end to you." I stare at him in disbelief at his proclamation, feeling moved by his resolve but also mortified of what's going to happen because of it. After a moment of silence, in which time Kuzuki enters a fighting stance, the knight finally responds.

"I see." They state simply.

In the next moment, the place in which the knight once stood now remains empty. Indicated by the clanking of armor behind me and the gust of wind following in their trail, I realize the knight had darted behind me quicker than I could see.

"Bleurgh!" The sound of a muffled cough, being drown out by blood, emanates across the night sky accompanied by the sound of a rod being driven easily though the soft torso of a human. I turn my gaze in horror, to see what I already knew happened.

Kuzuki lies draped over the weapon of the knight, being hoisted straight into the air. Half of the large lance protrudes from his back, skewered through his left ribcage. It's almost splitting his upper torso apart, save from the skin remaining fastened to the lower half.

The knight jerks the lance back before slinging it forward, causing Kuzuki to fling off and fly a short distance away before skidding across the ground, his body completely limp. A splatter of blood plasters across my clothing as the knight brandishes the lance in front of me. The pattern ironically mimics that which was left by my previous master.

"…you." I spit out, feeling my vision turn red. "YOU!" I shout and jump towards the knight. I reach into my sleeve and unveil Rule Breaker, despite knowing I couldn't possibly use it in my current state. "RU-"

My body collapses in on itself. The knight slugged their lance into my right side as though it was a club or hammer. Rule Breaker falls from my grip and clanks against the sidewalk as I fly away from the warrior executing the rest of the swing.

"Sleep." Is all they say as I fly back, unable to turn my head to see where I'm going.

I fall onto the sidewalk and skid a short distance, though I feel no pain and barely any sensation from it. Luckily, I happen to land next to Kuzuki. Although, I doubt it was the intention of the one who ended both of our lives.

I attempt to lift my hand and reach towards his face, frozen with an eternal, cold gaze. However, my arm is cracked and jagged from my bones breaking and splintering out in each possible direction. Even if I could still move in this state, I wouldn't be able to feel anything from brushing my hand against him. _How… cruel. _My vision blurs until I can't see the discernible features of anything. Then, darkness.

"Caster. Eliminated."


End file.
